Burton portrayed Shannon, an alcoholic defrocked minister who works as a tour guide in Mexico. While leading a bus of schoolteachers, he becomes infatuated with Charlotte (played by Sue Lyon), a promiscuous teenager. After she is found in his hotel room, the group’s unofficial chaperone (Grayson Hall) attempts to have Shannon fired, prompting him to take the group to a seedy, remote hotel run by Maxine (Ava Gardner). While there, Shannon meets the virginal spinster Hannah (Deborah Kerr). Sexual tensions and the various characters’ personal struggles subsequently play out.

The Mexican town of Puerto Vallarta was virtually unknown when the film was shot in 1963. However, the presence in town of Burton with Elizabeth Taylor—and their very public extramarital affair—attracted paparazzi, made international headlines, and transformed the area into a world-famous tourist destination. Sets from the film remain popular tourist attractions.